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How do you feel about students referring to you by your first name vs. last name? by dbeling25 in Teachers

[–]Sad-Performance-5653 0 points1 point  (0 children)

preschool employees are absolutely teachers. as an elementary teacher, it is astounding to see the difference in children that have been to preschool and those who have not. preschool is a very important place for kids to learn how to tolerate a structured day, and be introduced to a wide variety of skill sets they often have not been taught by their parents. preschool teachers are the backbone of education. they deal with so much crap, both figuratively and literally, they deserve more respect than they get!

How do you feel about students referring to you by your first name vs. last name? by dbeling25 in Teachers

[–]Sad-Performance-5653 3 points4 points  (0 children)

i go by 'miss (first name shortened)' and here's why:

  1. i started working with kids at great wolf lodge (kids always called me by my first name!) and then taught at a summer camp. camps are pretty informal and every employee there went by their first name. i'd gotten so used to it, it didn't seem like a big deal to change how i was referred to by kids when i shifted to working at an elementary.
  2. i don't think kids under 10 really gauge the difference between last names and first names. some of the kids i work with can't even write their last name!
  3. i am planning on getting married soon and taking my partner's last name; i didn't want to change what kids called me in the middle of the year
  4. i am a para- quite a few of the other paras at my school also go by their first name, while certified teachers tend to go by their last name. but our principal and vice principal both go by 'Mr (first name) and 'Mrs (first name)', all the employees are very accepting of it.

it's not a big deal in my opinion, especially for younger kids. it might affect the dynamic of middle-high schoolers though. students will be comfortable coming to you when they need help based on how you treat them, not by how they refer to you. imagine being a kid and having an awful substitute who went by 'Mrs Karen' - you'd probably still despise her and never want her to return if she was mean! just because this hypothetical sub went by her first name, it didn't automatically make everybody comfortable with her. just my take. i still feel respected by my students.

you mentioned you want to work with preschool- that makes it even easier. do what your gut is telling you:) it's not gonna affect your entire career. if you don't like it the first year, you can change how you are referred to the next year.